1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications, and more particularly to an optical Internet Protocol (IP) switch which combines Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) with optical switch technology in an innovative design that allows the Optical IP Switch to switch traffic in an IP network without processing the individual IP packets in xe2x80x9celectronicsxe2x80x9d.
2. Description of the Related Art
The 1990s have been a time of explosive growth for the Internet and by all estimates traffic on the Internet will continue to grow rapidly for some years to come. The U.S. Department of Commerce Department indicates that traffic on the Internet is doubling every 100 days and it is predicted that this doubling of traffic every 100 days will continue at least through the year 2003. It is noted that this high growth is not a recent development, but has been a long-term trend. Indeed, traffic on the NSFnet (which was the backbone of the Internet between 1988 to 1995) increased by a factor of 10 in the first year of operation (e.g., from approximately 100 million packets per month in June, 1988 to about 1.05 billion packets per month in June 1989).
This exponential growth will, if current trends continue, make it difficult for silicon-based routers and switches, currently prevalent in the Internet pathways, to keep up with the traffic. (In the context of the present application, a xe2x80x9crouterxe2x80x9d is a device in a packet-switched network that forwards data packets from an input link to an output link in the direction of the ultimate destination.) It is noted that Moore""s law says that silicon processing power doubles in approximately 18 months but Internet traffic doubles in a little over 3 months (e.g., 100 days). (It is noted that the optical fiber will not present a problem for some time, since it is believed that there is 75,000 GHz of useful capacity in a single strand of optical fiber.)
Thus, there will be a severe bottleneck caused by such over-extended silicon-based routers and switches.
In view of the foregoing problems, drawbacks and disadvantages of the conventional systems and methods, an object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for eliminating much of the processing of the data on the path through a router.
Another object is to eliminate all of the electronics (or at the very least significantly reduce the electronics) on the data path so that an xe2x80x9celectronic bottleneckxe2x80x9d is avoided and the capacity of the optical fiber can be advantageously exploited.
In a first aspect, an optical switch for a network having a plurality of nodes, includes a switch coupled to communications links used for input and output in which a plurality of wavelengths are used to carry traffic on a communications link, and a controller, coupled to the switch, for controlling the operation of the switch by implementing a routing protocol and implementing a labeling protocol to associate a wavelength with a route table destination. The controller controls the switch to direct the various wavelengths of traffic from an input link to an appropriate output link as determined by the routing protocol and the labeling protocol.
In a second aspect, an optical switch for a network having a plurality of nodes, includes a switch coupled to communications links, which the switch can use for input or output, on the communications links a plurality of wavelengths existing representing traffic thereon, and a controller coupled to the switch for controlling an operation of the switch by implementing a routing protocol and exchanging routing information with other nodes, implementing a network protocol and forwarding the traffic to a next hop, and implementing a labeling protocol to associate a wavelength with a route table destination. The controller controls the switch to connect the various wavelengths of traffic on an input link to an appropriate output link.
Further, the invention provides a network incorporating the inventive switch, a method of communicating, and a signal-bearing medium storing the inventive method.
Thus, the present invention provides an optical Internet Protocol (IP) switch which combines Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) with optical switch technology in an innovative design that allows the Optical IP Switch to switch traffic in an IP network without processing the individual IP packets in xe2x80x9celectronicsxe2x80x9d.
By eliminating the electronics from the data path through the switch, the Optical IP Switch can handle very high traffic volumes. This is likely to become important in the future since Internet traffic is expected to continue grow at a high rate for the foreseeable future.